Kolkata: Shatadru Dutta, the chief organiser of Argentine football icon Lionel Messi’s ‘GOAT Tour of India’, was on Sunday denied bail and remanded to 14 days of police custody, a day after the Kolkata leg of the high-profile event descended into violence and chaos at the Salt Lake Stadium.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Messi, along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, made a brief appearance at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Hundreds of fans turned violent after failing to get a clear view of the football legend, leading to vandalism, arson and a breakdown of crowd control inside the stadium.
On Sunday, West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited the stadium to assess the damage and inspect the situation. Accompanied by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and senior police officials, the Governor toured multiple sections of the venue. Bose said he was unable to enter the stadium on Saturday evening, alleging that the gates were shut and lights switched off to deliberately block his visit by the state government.
Describing the episode as a “dark day for the sports-loving people of Kolkata,” the Governor directed the state administration to arrest the event organiser and also criticised the police for failing to manage the massive crowd. He said both administrative lapses and policing failures contributed to the breakdown of law and order.
The much-hyped event, billed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Indian fans, ended in deep disappointment after Messi’s tightly secured and short appearance. Large sections of the audience, many of whom had travelled from distant places and paid ticket prices reportedly as high as ₹20,000, said they were unable to even glimpse the football superstar.
Following Messi’s early exit, anger spilled over into violence as frustrated spectators damaged seats, hoardings and other infrastructure inside the stadium. Police had to intervene to restore order, and the programme was abruptly curtailed.
Meanwhile, members of a high-level inquiry committee constituted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also visited the stadium on Sunday as part of their probe. The committee is headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, with the state’s chief secretary and home secretary as members. The panel has been tasked with fixing responsibility for the incident and recommending measures to prevent such lapses in the future.
Police officials said the investigation into the role of the organisers and security arrangements is ongoing, while further action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry.
